Lando Norris wins Abu Dhabi GP as McLaren seals title

Field Level Media|published: Sun 8th December, 11:32 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris of Team Great Britain waves to the crowd during the drivers parade at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jay Janner-Imagn Images

Lando Norris held off a pair of Ferrari drivers to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, giving McLaren its first constructors' championship since 1998.

McLaren entered the race with a 21-point lead over Ferrari, and Norris did enough to hold on as his teammate, Oscar Piastri, endured a rough race and finished 10th.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc joined Norris on the podium as McLaren won the title by 14 points.

Norris went about his business to secure the win by nearly six seconds as mayhem played out behind him on the course.

Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen made contact early on, with Verstappen receiving a penalty to drop him in the field. Piastri later collided with the car of Franco Colapinto of Williams and was assessed a penalty.

Shortly after the race, McLaren praised its drivers on social media for their efforts on Sunday.

"What a way to end the season. Congratulations @LandoNorris and @McLarenF1 Racing for P1! We also witnessed a mega effort from @OscarPiastri

after a tricky start," McLaren posted to its X account. "You both had every #McLaren fan in the world on the edge of their seats today and all year."

Leclerc started 19th on the grid and steadily made his way to the front of the pack and the podium.

And in his final race for his Mercedes team before his move to Ferrari next season -- replacing Sainz -- Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, squeezing past his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, who took fifth.

Hamilton was 16th on the grid after a difficult qualifying race on Saturday yet finished just off the podium.

After the race, he reflected on his time with Mercedes, the team with which he won six of his seven drivers' championships.

"What started as a leap of faith turned into a historic journey !!! It's been real, I love you all," he wrote on X.

For McLaren, the last constructors' championship title was led by drivers Mike Hakkinen and David Coulthard 26 years ago. It is the ninth crown for McLaren in its 58 years in F1.

Norris, who finished second to Verstappen in the drivers' standings, won four races and finished on the podium 13 times this season. Piastri was fourth in the standings with eight podium finishes and two victories.

--Field Level Media